Ed Joyce is in a position to beat Middlesex team-mate Andrew Strauss in the race to open England's innings alongside captain Michael Vaughan according to the skipper himself.

Irish-born Joyce could only manage seven in England's 241-run thrashing of minnows Bermuda during their opening warm-up match here on Monday.

But afterwards Vaughan said he expected to be batting with Joyce in England's second and final warm-up match against world champions Australia on Friday.

With England's opening fixture of the World Cup proper on March 16 against New Zealand in St Lucia, the stylish Joyce has a chance to make the opener's berth his own and so keep Strauss, a veteran of 74 one-day internationals to his fellow left-hander's 12, on the sidelines.

"That's what we've gone with today and unless things dramatically change in the next few days, that's what we will be going in with against Australia," Vaughan said of opening with Joyce after Monday's lopsided encounter.

However, things are less clearcut when it comes to the bowlers who will play against New Zealand.

England, who took advantage of a rule allowing teams to field 13 players in warm-up matches, had James Anderson, Liam Plunkett, Jon Lewis, Sajid Mahmood, Andrew Flintoff and Monty Panesar all bowling against Bermuda.

But at least two of those, most likely from a four of Anderson, Plunkett, Lewis and Mahmood, will have to make way come the New Zealand match.

Lewis (ankle) and Anderson (back) both missed the tailend of England's victorious tri-series campaign in Australia with injuries.

After seeing Lewis take three wickets for seven runs in four overs and Anderson two for eight in five as Bermuda were skittled out for 45 in reply to England's 286 for eight, Vaughan admitted: "It's tricky to judge on whose done what.

"It's nice to have Jimmy Anderson back, Jon Lewis has come back and bowled well. It's going to be a hard shootout to see who gets those positions.

"You'd rather have it that way then when you have had injuries in the past. Now we have a headache and it's good to have that headache."

Vaughan, who only scored 18, himself missed most of the series against Australia with a hamstring problem but he was confident his injury was healing.

"It felt fine. I would have liked more time in the middle and the plan was always to field for the first 10 overs of their innings.

"I'm happy with the way it's going and hopefully on Friday I'll be able to have a few more overs in the field and a little more time in the middle."

England, in the face of some tight bowling from 19 stone Bermuda left-arm spinner Dwayne Leverock (two for 32 off 10 overs) saw their top order checked to the extent of being 186 for six at one stage.

But all-rounder Jamie Dalrymple's well-paced 76 took them within sight of 300.

"I have confidence in the guys lower down and Jamie Dalrymple played a tremendous knock in that situation," said Vaughan.

Leverock dimissed both Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen, leaving an admiring Vaughan to say: "He bowled very well. Any spinner that drags Kevin Pietersen out of his crease and does him in the flight, it is a good delivery."

And Vaughan said he thought spinners could be a force in the World Cup on generally slow West Indian pitches.

"How they will play all round the Caribbean, I'm not too sure but you generally know that it's going to play quite low and slow as the game progresses."

England beat Australia 3-0 in the tri-series final but Vaughan tried to play down talk of a revenge mission by Ricky Ponting's men on Friday.

"England versus Australia is always a big occasion. No doubt both teams will be using the 13 players option and making sure they give all their bowlers a decent run-out.

"But England versus Australia, you want to win and that's what we will be trying to do on Friday."